


How to Photograph Your Grumpy Dark One

by snafumoofins



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-29
Updated: 2014-09-29
Packaged: 2018-02-19 05:17:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2376104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snafumoofins/pseuds/snafumoofins
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After being approached by the newspaper about having a front page article, Belle decides to dabble in the art of deal making to convince her fiance into having a picture taken.</p>
            </blockquote>





	How to Photograph Your Grumpy Dark One

They both knew secrets in Storybrooke never lasted long, and as much as Belle and Rumplestiltskin hoped to bask in the glow of their engagement, Belle couldn't help but tell her closest friends of their impending marriage.

Rumple had only idly nodded when Belle assured that Ariel and Tinkerbell would be completely silent of the occasion, but he privately suspected that there would be a crowd in front of his pawnshop the next day.

Instead, he saw little difference.

His day went smoothly, nearly so. Fixing the cameras at the Sheriff’s office had been a simple task, lying to Belle, however, had left a sick feeling in his gut.

She'd looked to him with concern, for reassurance, and he'd simply tried to seem indifferent.

Was he truly doing things for the better?

They both strolled at a leisurely pace to the Pawnshop, Belle's arms both hugged firmly around his, her face lit with a glow that made his heart ache with pleasure.

He gazed upon her as they walked, the way her lips curved, how her eyes set happily on the road before them. She was remarkable, one of the most remarkable things he'd ever set eyes upon.

Though he had wished to further speculate on how absolutely wonderful his soon-to-be wife was, his appreciation was short lived.

“M-Mr. Gold! Rumplestiltskin!” his soft expression shifted into a scowl that landed upon Dora Finley, the replacement of Sidney Glass. Beside her stood her husband, Marle, with his professional camera.

If anyone could irritate him more than the majority of Storybrooke, it was Dora Finley. He straightened his jacket, assuring that he didn't disturb Belle's arms in the process before coolly stating: “Whatever it is, _no_.”

“Is it true you and Ms. French are to be married?” Dora blurted out, her wide eyes blinking wildly and seeming to completely ignore the tone of his voice. “Do you plan on making it a public ceremony? Do you plan on children?”

Belle seemed to come to life at the mention of children, carefully positioning herself against the right of Rumple's torso, as if to keep him from clawing the stout woman's face apart. Honestly, who would ask him such a thing. _Children_. He was still grieving over the loss of his only _child_.

“We _are_ to be married, it's true,” Belle smiled politely. “The other details are private.”

Belle had a way of disarming situations that he would never seem to understand. He intended upon threatening to turn her and her beloved husband and son into fish again, but with a simply smile, Belle had won Dora over.

“What do you plan on wearing?” Dora squealed, now very interested in Belle and less interested in Rumple. It was then that he noted her husband lazily snapping pictures of the two as he had been doing the entire time.

“Would you like me to _break_ that?” Gold caused Belle and Dora's discussion to die down from his growl, his hand pointing accusingly at the device in Nemo's hands. They now shook, this made Rumple pleased.

“Now, now, Gold,” Dora placed her hands on her hips, her eyes nearly cross. “We need a picture for this interview, you two are going to make the front page! Doesn't that sound like a fair price?”

“No,” he growled, but Belle drowned out his grumble with an excited little noise of delight.

“ _Really_? How fascinating! I thought the paper was for recording disasters and deaths only,” she admitte with a shrug.   
  
“Oh honey,” Dora now seemed to look at Belle like a student, which Rumple knew was his death sentence. “No, no, this is _big_ news. _Good_ news. How about we stop by in an hour to take your picture?”

“Oh, that'd be lovely!” Belle's eyes nearly seemed to pop, her smile making his chest ache once more.

Rumple stood as Dora asked Belle more questions, smartly realizing that Rumple would give little insight. He felt a tinge of pain at each smile, each comment on how very excited she was to be his wife. He'd proposed upon a lie, a lie that represented a death to avenge his son, but thus, it was still a lie.

He should've trusted her enough to tell her the truth, surely she might have understood. Zelena had imprisoned him, used magic on her, killed his Bae, she _deserved_ her death.

His thoughts were cut short as Belle tugged his sleeve, looking uncertainly upwards at him. “We have an hour before they-”

“ _No_.”

The words slipped out before he could rightfully think, but he did _not_ plan on having some irksome fish photograph him to show off to the entirety of Storybrooke.

“Beg pardon?” Belle's eyes narrowed, her lips shifting into a frown.

_Gods, save me._

“I would rather not be shown off to the town, surely Miss Swan has rescued a child from a well and can take our place instead,” he assured, unlocking the door to the pawnshop and holding the door for her with his foot.

“Rumple, it isn't meant to _mock_ us,” Belle sighed as she stepped past him, immediately turning upon him before he could so much as hang his cane onto the doorknob. “It's something that will share the news of our engagement in a sweet way. I know it might seem like a silly thing for the front page, but I think we deserve something nice.”

Her reasoning was sweet, but he still had no intentions of a _picture_.

“She can write the article, but I _refuse_ to take a picture,” at his declaration, Belle crossed her arms over her stomach, her nose twitching.

“Is there a new bit to the Dark One's curse? A picture will suck away his soul?” she dryly questioned.

Rumple snorted despite himself, his lips quirking into a smirk. “No, I simply do not favor... _photographs_.”

“I suppose _drawing_ something has more meaning, but it's one picture, it won't do any harm,” Belle insisted, lifting herself up a bit on her tip-toes. “There's nothing that could convince you?”

He thought for a moment, “No.”

“What if I made you a deal?”

 _Deal_. The erratic Dark One resting within his mind came to life, hopping and skipping about like a child. “Really, now, _sweetheart_ , what else could I ever want from you? All I want is here,” he gestured to her with a hand and she flustered under his praise.

“Suppose I find us a place for our honeymoon, a place that nobody else could find? That way we could, erm...properly celebrate without a single interruption,” she proposed with a cheeky smile.

The little vixen.

She'd won.

She'd completely... _won_.

“Fine,” he immediately answered.

A week later, Belle arrived at his shop with a kiss for a cheek and a packed lunch for his stomach.

Inside his bag, he found a framed photograph, their picture, carefully snipped from the paper.

The two exchanged a smile and he couldn't help but draw her into his arms for a heartfelt kiss.

He supposed it _did_ have more meaning after all.

She always was right, his Belle.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed, :) Cookies to those of you who figure out who Dora and Marle are.


End file.
